From the Desk of Principal Simpson

January 13, 2022

Weekly Update

A Message from Assistant Principal Gomez

I am excited to introduce a new monthly article from Mr. Gomez, our K-4 assistant principal. Mr. Gomez joined BFA five years ago and, on top of overseeing our K-4 programming, he is our assessment coordinator as well as our go-to for all safety and security needs. He has been such an asset to our school; but we realized that many of you may not have had the opportunity to meet him yet, so each month Mr. Gomez will share some of his insights about BFA and, in particular, the elementary grades. I hope that you enjoy getting to know him a little better through these articles.

-Principal Simpson

Dear Parents,

In the nearly 50 school tours I have given to prospective BFA families throughout the years, I always start by telling the group that after all of my years in education at several highly-regarded schools, Ben Franklin Academy is by far the best. Of course, I follow that up with all the facts about our school and teachers, then show them around our beautiful facility; but one of the other highlights for me is talking about our support staff and the critical role they play in making BFA such an incredible school.

We have nearly 40 support staff members (non classroom/specials teachers) that work tirelessly day in and day out supporting our students and teachers in important and immeasurable ways. They work in conjunction with the teachers and administration to ensure that all our students are safe, nurtured and challenged, and we’re so grateful for the unique talents (and personality!) they bring to their roles.

I would like to recognize the amazing work of ALL of these wonderful BFA staff members, whether it's Mrs. Jackie dancing in carpool; Mr. Redford demonstrating social emotional skills using puppets in the kindergarten classrooms; Mrs. DeBellis cleaning every scraped knee and helping every sick kiddo; Mrs. Mika helping to serve lunches; Mrs. Melka caring for a hurt student on the playground; Mr. Monte fixing a student's desk; Mrs. Burke stepping in at a moments notice to help cover for a sick colleague; Ms. Schmit finding a quiet place for students to test; Ms. Cain cheering the efforts of her small reading groups; Mrs. Murphy challenging her ALP students; Mrs. Watson teaching a class; Ms. Abby cleaning tables during lunch; or Mrs. Bynum answering every question about BFA.

There are so many special people to recognize. I wish I could go on and on; instead I'll say that I have the highest regard for all our amazing support staff and specialists. BFA would not be the best school without their extraordinary support!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Aric Gomez

Volunteer Recognition

BFA loves its volunteers, and we want to show our appreciation for all of your work. The PTO recognizes two volunteers each month. A volunteer will be chosen as the Volunteer of the Month, and will get exclusive use of the dedicated, reserved Volunteer of the Month spot in the parking lot for their respective month.

In addition, each month a volunteer will be randomly chosen through a drawing to win a fun, surprise gift. All you have to do to be eligible to win, is log at least ONE hour of volunteer service in the month prior to the drawing.

Thanks to all our volunteers for your continued support of BFA!

Congratulations Daniel Flint!

For the month of January, Daniel Flint has been selected as the Ben Franklin Academy Volunteer of the Month. He is being recognized for all of his work with the art and music specials, from color coordinating the folding chairs to building sets for "James and the Giant Peach." Daniel is a dedicated volunteer who is always willing to tackle the jobs that no one else wants to do, like clearing out the clay-clogged pipes and deep cleaning the art room sink. For all of his efforts, we'd like to say THANK YOU--your dedication to BFA does not go unnoticed!

Daniel and his wife Lauren have two children at BFA, Hayleigh (4th grade) and Jaxon (1st grade). When asked what they like about BFA, Daniel said, “This is our 5th year at BFA and we can't imagine being anywhere else! The teachers and staff always go above and beyond and we love the parent involvement! My wife Lauren is a substitute at BFA and enjoys working with all the different grades. She also enjoys being a part of the PTO and volunteering in science lab when she's not working. I can be found volunteering in the art room just about every Friday--it's my favorite place and I love to see the creativity from all the students!”

Congratulations--we appreciate you, Daniel!

If you know someone who should be considered for volunteer of the month for outstanding volunteerism, please email Denise Battista, PTO president.

Thank You Joel and Nancy Sevinsky!

This month, Joel and Nancy Sevinsky are the winners of our drawing for their volunteer time in December. They earned volunteer hours for reading books for Battle of the Books and coming up with practice questions for the teams. They have won a $10 gift card to Gelato & Co. Congratulations, Joel and Nancy! And, thank you again for your ongoing commitment to serving the students and staff at BFA.

BFA News

Dress of Choice Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Jan. 14, is a Dress of Choice Day for students who have not had two uniform violations since the last Dress of Choice day.

Please be sure to follow the Dress of Choice guidelines found in the uniform policy.

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

There will be no school on Monday, Jan. 17, as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His life and writings still provide wisdom and inspiration. We hope you'll find time to visit one of the many websites that tell his story and/or share his meaningful quotes with your student(s).

“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”

― Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Congratulations to our Spelling Bee Champs!

This past Monday, 10 students in grades 4-8 competed in the BFA Spelling Bee. Qualifying for the Bee is not easy, so we want to recognize all the students who participated:

Hunter Ackerson
Rocco Cali
Charlie Hope
Architha Kannojoo
Jennifer Kranz
Emma Krabacher
Sam Leclaire
Lily Molieri
Asah Rangel
Lily Waddoups

The competition was fierce—but, in the end, Liliana Molieri and Asah Rangel won the Bee! Great job to all the participants!

Do You Know any Prospective BFA Families?

If you know anyone interested in attending K-8 at BFA, please let them know the second round of Open Enrollment begins on Monday, Jan. 24. We continue to offer tours of the school, so we also encourage you to share the tour webpage link with any prospective BFA families you know.

Our Kids Cast their Vote!

Again this year, BFA students are participating in the Colorado Children Book Award. Beginning last week and for the next four weeks, Ms. Williams will be reading books nominated for the 2022 Colorado Children Book Award (CCBA) to grades K-4.

The students will have a chance to vote for their favorite book; then, their votes will be turned in to the CCBA committee who will tally all the votes from BFA and the other participating schools.

We're excited to be a part of helping to select the winner of this year's 2022 book award! The nominated books this year are:

"Outside, Inside"
"SULWE"
"The Scariest Book in the Whole Entire World"
"If you come to Earth"
"Soaked"
"You Matter"
"Lift"
"The Oldest Student"
"Must Love Books"
"Cool Bean"

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Benjamin Franklin’s birthday is Jan. 17, 1706, making him 316 years old. Since his actual birthday falls on a school holiday, we will be celebrating Ben’s Birthday on Tuesday, Jan. 18, with cookies from Eileen’s Cookies and an allergy friendly alternative for those with food allergies and sensitivities. New this year, there will be gluten friendly Eileen’s Cookies also available.

This is a great time to honor Benjamin Franklin for all of the wonderful legacies he left behind, including the 13 virtues that we practice here at Ben Franklin Academy. Happy Birthday, Ben!

Hearing and Vision Screenings Begin Jan. 31

BFA will conduct our annual hearing and vision screenings at school on Monday, Jan. 31, and Tuesday, Feb. 1. Hearing and vision impact learning, so it's important to conduct screenings, and Colorado law (C.R.S. 22-1-116) states that students in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 should be tested for sight and hearing. We also screen students that are new to the district as well as any referrals. It is important to note that this is a screening, not a complete exam. If your student wears prescription glasses or contacts, it is necessary that he/she wear them during the screening.

This year, the school has contracted with Tender Care Consulting, LLC, for the screenings. We also need parent volunteers to help. If you are interested, it’s a great way to get your volunteer hours! See the SignUpGenius for details.

You will receive a letter if your student does not pass the screening. Students with concerns should be evaluated by a health care professional. Please take the letter to your appointment and have the provider complete the bottom of the form, and return it to your school's health office.

Colorado Department of Education Standards for hearing and vision are available online.

Please contact Mrs. DeBellis in the Health Room if you have questions or concerns about your student.

Sweetheart Ball, Boots and Beauties

All BFA girls and their father or other special adult are invited to attend this year’s Sweetheart Ball, Boots & Beauties from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, at BFA.

Purchase your tickets online through MySchoolBucks NOW through Wednesday, Jan. 26. Tickets are $35 per couple, and $15 for each additional student. Get yours today, as tickets will not be sold at the dance!

If you have questions, please contact Alissa Motazedi, PTO social coordinator.

PTO Meeting Tonight via Zoom

You’re invited to join the PTO for their monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Jan. 13, via Zoom.

Should you attend, don't forget to log your volunteer hours!

Gifted Testing, A Message from DCSD

DCSD is committed to implementing equitable practices to increase access to advanced/gifted learning opportunities. Based on state and national recommendations and requirements, we will implement Universal Screening for students in second grade this February.

Second Grade Universal Screen

As part of this process, ALL students in second grade not identified for gifted programming will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) the week of Feb. 7. This assessment indicates the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student in comparison to grade and age mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.

If your child is already identified for gifted programming, they will not participate in this universal screen testing. Your Gifted Education Facilitator will contact you directly with information about this process.

Kindergarten/First Grade Gifted Identification Referral Testing

If your child is in grades K or 1 and you believe he/she needs evaluation for Gifted Identification and Services, you may refer your child for testing by initiating the Gifted Identification Process. NOTE: Requesting this assessment automatically initiates the process to evaluate for Gifted Identification.
Please request CogAT testing for your child by completing the Referral for Gifted Identification: Ben Franklin - DCSD Gifted Identification Referral Form - Consent to Evaluate, Parent/Guardian Survey & Student Survey.
Upon receipt of this form the Gifted Education Facilitator will connect with you to discuss next steps in the gifted identification process.

Donuts with Dads Postponed

Due to the increase in covid cases, the Community Events Committee (CEC) will need to postpone Donuts with Dads, originally scheduled on Friday, Jan. 21.

They look forward to hosting the event some time in the future.

Upcoming Events

BFA's Guiding Principles

Mission:

Our mission is to create young adults with character like America's founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged.

Vision:

Our students will excel academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, the arts, and literacy. We will be a data-driven institution, focusing on individual students. Our students, teachers, parents, staff, and leaders will be held accountable for the success of our school. Finally, we recognize that an education is incomplete without fostering social emotional development, character, sports, and nature.

13 Virtues:

Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Purity and Humility.